Barbara Broccoli sues newspaper for libel and malicious falsehood

James Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli has launched a legal action against Associated Newspapers in a row over a story that appeared in the Mail on Sunday, reports the Press Gazette.

Broccoli is suing over a story headed “Axed film quango gave £70m to own members” which appeared in August.

According to a writ filed at the High Court, the movie producer is demanding damages for libel and malicious falsehood.

She is also suing over a piece by columnist Peter McKay headed “Charity that really must start at home”.

The writ claims these stories suggested that as a board member of the UK Film Council she had improperly awarded her company First Light Movies a £1.1m grant.

Broccoli denies the claim and says she is the chair of First Light, which is a charity, and that it is not her own company.

She says her reputation has been seriously damaged by the stories, and she also suffered considerable hurt, embarrassment and distress.

Broccoli, who has instructed solicitors Reed Smith to act for her, is seeking aggravated damages, saying the paper knew the claims were false or was reckless as to whether they were true or false, and treated her contemptuously by failing to publish an apology.

She is also seeking an injunction banning the paper from repeating the allegations about her.

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